I am not sure what you are talking about. A picture would help.

Is it this?

Or this?

Thanks for responding, Fred. Sorry to say I can't provide a photo right now, but I'll try to improve the description.

The fabric-covered zip cord is the kind of stuff you might find on an old rummage store lamp- two wires, each covered with a cloth cover, twisted around each other. One end is connected to a cylindrical ceramic base (no box) that is about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 3/4 inches deep. On the other end is a light socket, and the light socket has a handle which you can twist to turn the light on and off.

But that's just a "picture" of what it all looks like, which I included to let people know why this makes me a little nervous. The real question is much simpler: is the wire to the lamp completely de-energized once I turn it off with the wall switch (there's a basic switch loop to the top of the stairs) or is there a chance that there is still live current reaching it, waiting for a ground to complete the circuit?

Here's a link to a page with a similar wire and a similar socket in one of the pictures:

http://vintagewireandsupply.com/twisted-cloth-covered-wire/

And here's a page with the type of socket I'm referring to, except mine looks cheaper!

http://vintagewireandsupply.com/light-sockets/

Thanks!

I think this might answer your question. There are two ways to run the wiring. In the diagrams, the red wires would be the only wires that are energized when the switch is in the off position. There won't be any energized wires past the ceramic base in either case.